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(No Model.)

J. M.'HOLTEN. APPARATUS FOR CASTING FISH NETS.

No. 568,252. Patented Sept. 22, 1896.

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J1 Zloruey UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. HOLTEN, OF FAIRTON, NEW' JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR CASTING FISH-NETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 568,252, dated September 22, 1896.

Application filed July 30, 1896. Serial No. 601,052. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. HoLrEN,a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Fairton, in the county of Cumberland and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Casting Fish-Nets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a device for casting circular fish-nets,the device being used in connection with a mast and boom rigged upon a boat or other floating vessel, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of a device for casting nets constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the parts to which the tangential arms and operating-rods are attached.

This fishing apparatus is designed to hold a net which is attached to the projecting ends of spring-actuated bolts carried by tangential arms supported by a fixture at the end of a boom or spar, said bolts being retracted to release the net by means of rods which ex tend to a disk operated by a cord.

In the drawings, A designates a mast, and B a boom or spar which is connected to said mast by an ordinary jaw and ropes or halyards, which permit of the raising and lowering of the boom or spar when desired. To the end of the boom or spar B is attached a casting or fixture 0, having a horizontal socket to receive the said end of the boom and a vertical opening to receive a bolt D, by which my improved apparatus is supported, in connection with said boom or spar, to be in a position beyond the vessel or boat. The fixture O is adapted to be readily removed from the spar B, in order that the latter can be used as the gaff of 'a sail if desired.

The bolt D is provided with a head 01, and adjoining said head is a collar d, which provides a bearing-surface for a sleeve F, a disk E fitting over said collar to bear upon the head cZ, thus providing separate bearing-surfaces on the bolt for the said parts E and F. The upper end of the bolt D is threaded to receive nuts d which hold the several parts in positive engagement, a second disk g being to each other by connecting-rods M, which are attached to plates m, secured to said arms.

The outer end of each arm has attached thereto a casing I, containing a sliding bolt I, which is projected by a helical spring 2', that encircles the bolt and bears against one end of the casing and against a collar 2", rigidly secured to the bolt, said collar having a depending finger which passes through a slot in the casing. The spring acts upon the bolt to project the outer end thereof beyond the casing, and the finger, by contacting with the ends of the slot, limits the movement of said bolt in either direction. The several sliding bolts are connected to the disk E by rods K, the outer ends of which engage the depending fingers of the collar 1', while their inner ends are bent to engage vertical apertures in said disk. The disk is provided wit-h a projecting arm 6, to which is connected an operating-rope L, that extends from said arm, be-

low the tangential arms H, to and around the one adjoining the spar B, and from there over a guide-roller Z, carried by the spar, the free end of the rope being in a convenient position for operation. 7

From the foregoing descriptiomin connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be noted that this apparatus provides a simple and effective means for casting circular nets, and by its use a net larger than ordinarily employed can be successfully cast. The boom or spar B can be swung around and lowered to bring the apparatus over the deck of the boat or vessel, and the net can then be placed in position by causing the rings usually carried thereby to engage the projecting ends of the sliding bolts 1. The boom or spar is then raised and swung to position the net beyond the side of the vessel, and by drawing upon the rope L all the sliding bolts will be retracted simultaneously to insure the proper casting of the net.

It will be noted that the arms 11 are arranged tangentially With respect to the parts E and F, and that the connecting-rods K are tangential, extending substantially parallel with the said arms. By this construction the movement of the disk E will cause a direct pull upon the sliding bolts through the in tervention of the rods K, and by the particular construction and arrangement shown and described there is a positive movement of all the parts to insure a proper operation of the apparatus.

1 am aware that prior to my invention it has been proposed to provide an apparatus for casting nets, as shown in the patent of Ferl and Larkins, dated August 2, 1866, and numbered 56,917. I therefore lay claim only to the novel construction and combination of parts herein shown and described.

I claim- 1. In adevice for casting fish-nets, the combination, of the fixture C havinga horizontal socket to receive the end of a boom or spar and a vertical opening, a bolt D passed 1111 necting the bolts with the disk, the latter being operated by a rope of flexible connection, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a device for casting fish-nets, the combination, of the fixture 0 having a horizontal socket to receive the end of a boom or spar and a vertical opening, a bolt D located partially within said vertical opening, a sleeve F mounted upon the bolt and having tangential arms l-I, sliding bolts at the outer ends of said arms; together with a disk E mounted upon the bolt, and rods K connecting the sliding bolts to the disk, said rods extending substantially parallel with the arms, the disk being operated by a cord or other flexible connection, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an apparatus for casting fish-nets, the combination, of the fixture 0 having a horizontal socket to receive the end of a boom or spar and a vertical opening as shown, a bolt D secured in the vertical opening to depend below the fixture C, a collar F mounted upon the lower end of the bolt and provided with vertical apertures, tangential arms I'I having bent ends which engage said vertical apertures, and a disk 9 for holding said arms in such engagement; together with sliding bolts at the outer ends of the tangential arms, a disk E mounted upon the bolt D, and rods K connecting the sliding bolts with said disk, the latter having a projecting arm to which an operating-rope is connected, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. IIIOLTEN.

Witnesses:

E. COATES SWING, 13. B. RUSSELL. 

